Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Just 100%-ed the game and got all the achievements, so here's my take. I had mixed feelings about it at first... Like, first off, why does just bumping into an enemy do more damage than getting stabbed with a 3-foot long spear? 💀 But whatever. I figured since I already bought it, I might as well beat it. Once I hit the first actually challenging boss though, I started to realize like, okay, this game is actually pretty fun. Ulv was sick. The story hit pretty hard tbh, and honestly, leaving out voice acting was the right move. It fits the vibe way better. Soundtrack goes hard too, mostly cuz of Mili. Half the boss fights were kinda mid, but there were definitely a few bangers in there. Overall, a solid 8/10 for me.

I had originally picked this game up because the soundtrack was made by Mili, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the atmosphere (elevated by the music) and challenge of this game left a lasting impact on me. It is the first game of the "Metroidvania" style I played after not expecting to enjoy those types of games, but Ender Lilies proved me wrong. Not only did the atmosphere immerse me in the world and story, emotionally elevated by Mili on the soundtrack, but the steady learning of fairly difficult bosses and eventual triumph led to a great payoff in unlocking abilities to reexplore the wonderfully crafted world. The only complaint I can think of is that there were a few points where I was lost and had no clue where to go (which was solved by simply exploring incomplete areas for a while), and some items were extremely out of the way without the 100% being in mind. Despite these grievances, I greatly enjoyed the game, mainly from its atmosphere, story, and challenging obstacles. (Thank you for bringing me here, Mili!)

Such a fun game, you can see that they took inspiration from hollow knight but didn't copy it. I liked the variaty in play styles with all the spells and weapons. The designs of the bosses were so good I loved it, same goes for the areas they looked so stunning. I wish the game had voice acting because that would make it even better. Totally recommend this game I had so much fun!!